City of Ogdensburg and Police Supervisory Unit reach contract agreement

OGDENSBURG  The city and the Ogdensburg Police Departments Supervisory Unit plan to sign a new three-year contract within the week.

The contract with the departments management employees was approved by City Council Monday. City Manager John M. Pinkerton said the updated contract includes healthy give-and-take.

Both sides have signed the tentative agreement, Mr. Pinkerton said. Now well just put the contract together and sign it and well be done.

The previous contract expired at the end of 2013.

The recently approved contract has a number of changes, including 2 percent cost-of-living adjustments for 2014, 2015 and 2016.

Health insurance deductibles have been raised from $150 for a single person to $400, and from $300 for a family to $600.

Mr. Pinkerton also said an effort was made in the new contract to reduce overtime use.

We reduced the amount of block time that a person could take for vacation because it creates overtime, he said.

Instead of being able to claim three weeks of vacation time in a year a week at a time, regardless of whether it creates the need for overtime, officers can claim an accrued 120 hours of vacation time only if it wont cause overtime pay for others.

The new contract also includes longevity bonuses for officers who stay with the department. Bonuses start at $100 for six years and go up to $800 for 20 years or more.

Another change from prior years allows officers to use sick time for the illness of their significant other or their children if they have lived together for more than 12 months.

The Supervisory Unit includes lieutenants and sergeants for a total of seven members, Mr. Pinkerton said.

I thought it was equitable both ways, Mr. Pinkerton said.

Ogdensburg police Lt. Harry J. McCarthy could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

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